This is Johanna Rothman’s October 2026 Create an Adaptable Life newsletter. The unsubscribe link is at the bottom. There are plenty of problems I wish I could just solve. Some are professional. I can’t solve them alone unless a client hires me to collaborate with them. Even then, sometimes the client says, “You have to
How Can We Build Enough Power to Solve This Problem? Read More »
I love learning about tools and how to use them. Here are some of the tools I use often: Manual tools I use in the kitchen. Electronic tools for my work, such as visualizing the flow of work, systems thinking models, as well as the tools I use to write and publish. Thinking tools, such
How Can You Know the Right Tool to Use for Your Current Problem? Read More »
I look forward to fall every year. First, it’s apple season, with terrific, crunchy, and tart apples. Second, it’s the High Holy Days. I use the holidays to reflect on my life over the past year. Then, I can plan a little for the kind of person I want to be for next year. The
How Much (or How Little) Can We Do to Repair the World? Read More »
This is Johanna Rothman’s September 2026 Create an Adaptable Life Newsletter. The Unsubscribe link is at the bottom of this newsletter. When I first learned to program computers, I was not very good. I had to practice organizing my thoughts, thinking through the problem(s) to solve, and using the computer language to actually solve those
How Can We Enjoy the Necessary Practice to Master Valuable New Skills? Read More »
As I’ve processed the deaths of Dolly Parton and Tim Curry (fixed the bad reference) this week, I realized that I used the examples of their creativity and output as inspiration for my career. Not because I could ever “compete” with them and their careers, but to use their careers as inspiration for my own.
How Can You Tell the Difference Between Inspiration and Competition? Read More »
I’ve been using Edgar Schein’s definition of corporate culture for years. (Ever since Esther explained it to me.) Schein rolled around artifacts and several other ideas, but Esther clarified them for me. Culture is: What people can discuss How people treat each other And in organizations, what the organization rewards. All this means we can
What Are You Willing to Do to Create the Culture You Want? Read More »
This is Johanna Rothman’s August 2026 Create an Adaptable Life Newsletter. The Unsubscribe link is at the bottom of this newsletter. I hear a lot about work/life balance. I don’t buy that. While we spend time at work, we only get one life. And my theory of life is to live it with as much
What Would You Keep, Change, or Remove to Make Your Best Possible Life? Read More »
As I’ve challenged myself physically, I noticed I’m talking out loud, coaching myself. My most frequent word is “Okay.” Okay is short for: “Okay, you finished that piece. Now, it’s time for the next step so you can accomplish this entire thing.” I try to keep my self-talk positive because I want to reinforce finishing
How Do You Use Your Self-Talk to Finish Something You Want to Accomplish? Read More »
Many of my colleagues use AI for parts of their jobs. (I do, too, to see what I’ve already written.) Using AI requires both trust and judgment. Trust that the LLM has given you the correct answer(s). And that you can then judge those answers well. Here’s an example that I see all the time:
How Do We Trust Our Judgment When AI Offers Us Different Answers? Read More »
This is Johanna Rothman’s July 2026 Create an Adaptable Life Newsletter. The Unsubscribe link is at the bottom of this newsletter. (Looking for the video? Go to the bottom of the newsletter for the video link.) We’ve all had strange days, when we just could not get anything done. When we have days like that,
How Do We Choose Between a Straight Reset and Starting Anew? Read More »